People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti urged Kashmiri youth to vote in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections to send a message to New Delhi that the decisions taken in August 2019 regarding Jammu and Kashmir’s status are unacceptable.
While campaigning for the party’s youth leader Waheed Parra, who is contesting from the Srinagar Parliamentary constituency, Mufti referred to him as a “symbol of the challenges faced by Kashmiri youth after August 2019.”
Addressing a road show in southern Pulwama district, the former CM called on the people of Jammu and Kashmir to respond to New Delhi’s actions in J&K through voting. She appealed to the youth to support Parra, stating their voice will be addressed appropriately.
Mufti emphasized that these elections are not about electricity, infrastructure or becoming an MLA, but rather a chance to reply to New Delhi through votes and convey that the August 2019 decisions on J&K are unacceptable and need to be reversed. She alleged that post-August 2019, entire J&K has been turned into a jail with youth being the worst sufferers. “Our youth are being summoned to police stations and subsequently detained in jails outside J&K. This is unacceptable for us. We have to respond through votes so that our representative reaches Parliament and flags our genuine concerns,” Mufti stated.
